Vehicle



lMarch 3, 1936. A

H. Gi' SCHAEFER VEHICLE Filed July l0, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 3, 19%. H. G. SCHAEFER VEHICLE Filed July l0, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTR.

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March 3, 1936. H. G. scHAEFER VEHICLE Filed July l0, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 3, 1936 'l UNITEDSTATES flea'rl-:lar OFFICEl Henry G. Schaefer, Lakewood, Ohio v y. Application July 10, 1933, Serial No. 679,695

5 Claims.

This invention relates as indicated to vehicles but has more particular referenceto'vehicles of y the commercial type, such for example as tractortrailers. f

A primary object of the invention is to provide a vehicle of the character described in which the loads are evenly and ,properlyA distributed over the wheels of the vehicle, regardless of the con- 2 tour of the roads over which the vehicle is travelingand in whichthe transmission of excessive stresses from chassis `to the body of the vehicle is siderably prolonged. 1

avoided and the useful life of the vehicle is con- Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle of the character described in which certain. of the rear wheels are steered by orv incidentally to the steering of the front wheels, whereby a shorter turning radius of the vehicle is secured, jack-kning is avoided, tire wear is lessened, the operation and'contr'ol yof the vehicle made easier, and other ancillary advantages' are V tional forms in which the principle of the invention may be embodied.

In said annexed drawings:-

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle embodying the invention;-Fig. 2 is arbottom plan view of the vehicle; Figs. 3 and 4 are detailed views of .the spring shackle mounting elements; Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are views illustrating movements of various parts of the vehicle in passing over road obstructions; Figs. 9 and 10 are lviews of the steering mechanism used in vehicles of the type .shown in Figs. 1 to-8 inclusive;=1=ig. 11 is a side elevation of a tractor-traler embodying certain features of the invention; Fig. 12 `is a detail view of a modified formof the steering mechanism for use in tractor-trailers; and Figs. 13 and 14 are detail views of a modified form of a mechanism forsteering the rear wheels of the tractor.

Referring more particularly to that form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 10, inclusive, it

vwill lbe seen that the vehicle is ofthe commercial type and comprises a chassis upon which is mounted they engine'l and'driver's cab 2, the chassis beingprovided with yfront'wheels 3, intermediate driven wheels 4 and rear wheels 5. Se-

(Cl, BSD-106.5)

cured to the front and rear axles 6' and to the axle housing 1 of the driven wheels, as by means of U-bolts 8 and nuts9, are blocks I0,vsee Figs. 3 and 4, in which are mounted members vIl provided with perforated downwardly extending lugs :2 adapted to pivotally support spring shackles 3. bers Il are sc mounted in the blocks l0 that they may oscillate to a slight extent transversel of the directiony of movement ofthe vehicle.v

Spring shackles I3 vserve to vpivotally support one end of cantilever springs i4, the opposite ends of these springs being pivotally mounted upon pins l5 which extend transversely from the side frames I6 of the chassis. Frames I 6 are maintained in spaced relation by means of plates "l1, I8 and I9 which are pivotally connected to shafts 2B extending between the frames `|6.

The frames IE are provided at their upper edges with upstanding ears 2l and 22. 2| have journalled therein a shaft 23, which is rigidly secured to the downwardly extending anges 24 of a member 25, to which" the front portion of the vehicle body 26 is rigidly secured.

'The rear portion of the body 26 has rigidly secured thereto a member 29 having downwardly extending flanges 28 to lwhichis rigidly secured the shaft 21, the'shaft passing through apertures 30 in the ears 22. K through which the shaft 21 passes, are somewhat elongated so as to permit a limited degree of 'longitudinal movement of fthe rear frame I 6 with respect to the body of the vehicle, for a purpose to be presently described.

It will be readily seen that the articulated construction of the vehicle is such that Whenthe wheels 3 pass over an obstruction in the road,

. as in Fig. 5, the intermediate driven wheels will not be elevated and consequenly the weight of the body will always be properly distributed over all of the wheels.VK Moreover, the provision of the elongated aperturesrin the ears 22 of the frames" I6 prevents the transmission of excessive The ears It may be noted at'this point that the mem- 1 rIlhe apertures 30 inears -22,`-

stresses from the chassis to the body of the vehicle, thereby preserving the life of such body as well as tending to keep it on a more even keel when the vehicle is driven over rough roads. The aforesaid advantages are also apparent when the intermediate and rear wheels of the vehicle pass over obstructions in the road, as in Figs. f

l side of the vehicle pass over an obstruction and the axles are thereby tilted, the pivotal mounting of the shackle supporting members Il and the ing a splined end engaged in a socketmember 36 of a'universaljoint. The other socket member 31 of the universal joint has received therein the splined end 38 of torque rod 39. Torque rod 39 has rigidly secured to its opposite end a'lever arm 4B, the lower end of whichis formed as a socket for the reception of a ball 4i' clamped to the connecter bar 42 of. therear wheel steering mechanism. It will be apparent thatgwhen the front wheels of the vehicle are turned, the rear wheels will be Y simultaneously steered,r butin the opposite direction from the front wheels and .that variations in the center tocenter distance betweenthei'ront and rear axles of the vehicle due to passage oi' the front or rear wheels over obstructions in the road, as previously described.

will' be compensated for by the splined connection of `'torque rods 34 and 39 withthe universal joint, so that steering .may be eiIected at all times without danger of the torquerods binding in their bearing supports 43.4 By the useof a rear wheel steering mechanism, ksuch as described, the vehicle may be steered within a much smaller radius thanhas heretofore been possible in commercial vehicles of this type, tire wear is considerably lessened, danger of Jack-kninng is avoided and the operation and control of the vehicle is made easier.

y In that form of the invention shown in Figs. 11 and 12 the vehicle comprises a tractor 50 and a semi-.trailer 5i, the forward end oi' the trailer being vmounted in the usual manner on the pivotv.ally mounted ilfth wheel 52 of the tractor. The' rear end'of the trailer has secured thereto a plate 53 having depending anges 54 carrying a shaft 55 which is pivotally mounted on frames 56 simi- 'i lar to the frames i6 in the previously described form ofthe invention.

Y The trames 56 vare mounted on cantilever springs 51 which are suspended from the axles o! the wheels 58 and 53 in the same manner that the springs are suspended Iromthe axles oi' the-wheels in the previously deiscribed form of construction. By mounting the rear end of the tractor in this manner, all of the advantages to which'reference has been made in connection with the previously described form of the invention are secured. In this i'orm ofthe invention, the rear wheels 63 are steered by means of a torque rod 60 having rigidly secured to one end thereof a lever 6| which has a ball and socket connection with a ,linkA 62, which in turn has a ball and socket connection with the lrear end oi' the tractor frame. When the tractor is turned, the, turning eil'ect is transmitted through the torque rod 60 to the rear wheels of the trailer so that these are steered simultaneously with the vfront wheels of the tractor.

In Figs.13 and 14, I have illustrated more or less diagrammatically means for communicating the steering eii'ect oi' the tractor to the rear wheels of the trailer through Athe king pin connection of the trailer with the ili'thv wheel of the tractor. `In this form ot the invention, the tractor 50 is provided Vwith a fth wheel 60a,

- riding up on the cam edges 64 such fth wheel having a centrally disposed non rotatable block Gla therein provided with a V- shaped recess opening towardthe rear end oi' the tractor. The trailer 5i in this case'has rigidly mounted thereon, as by means of a nut 62a, a hollow pin 63 having cam edges 64 at the lower end thereof. Disposed within the pin 63 is a rotatable clutch member 65 which is restrained against axial movement by a set screw 6 6, and which normally has engaged therewith as by means of a spring-61, a cooperating clutch member 66. The member 68 is providedat its lower end with 4a wedge block 69 which is adapted to enter the V-shaped recess in the block Oia when the tractor lis backed under the trailer. 'Ihe member 65 has keyed thereto a lever 10 which is secured at its other end to a transverse lever 1I connected to a torque rod 12. When the tractor is turning,l asin going around a corner, the turning effect oi' the tractor is communicated to theA similar to that shown in Figs. 9 and 10. Inorder toavoid excessive strains on the various partsoi the aforesaid'steering mechanism, ,provision is made forseparatingthe clutch members Gland 68 when the .angle between tractor and trailer is such that strains are likely lto result. This separation is effected by the wedge block 63 as will be apparent -from Fig. 14. Y y

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may begemployed instead of the one explained, change-*being made as regards the structure herein i disclosed, provided thev 1 elements stated by and of` the following claims or the equivalente! `such stated elements vbe employed. Y V- w 2 I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my inventionz-f i l 1. In a vehicle of the character described, a body, a chassis comprising longitudinally spaced frames disposed below said body, a pivotal*- connection between said body and one of said frames and a pin and slot connection Abetween said body andthe other frame whereby a limited'degree of -relative Alongitudinal movement between said body and said last-named frame is permitted'.

2; Inv avehicle oi'k the characterl described, a body, a chassis comprising longitudinally spaced substantially inilexible frames disposed. below said body, a pivotal connection betweensaid .body and one of said vframes and a pin and slot connection between said body and the other frame whereby a limited degree of relative longitudi- A nal movement between said body and said lastnamed frame is permitted. 3. Ina vehicle of thefcharacter described, a

inga limited degree oi' pivotaljmovement with respect to each other and about an axis substantially midway` therebetween, a pivotal `connection between saidbody .and one'of said trames and a pin and slot connection between said body and the other traine whereby a limited degree of relative longitudinal movement between saidr body and said iast-namedframe is permitted.-

4. In a vehicle of the character described, Aa body,a chassis comprising longitudinally spaced frames disposed below said body, similarly spaced members rigidly secured to said body and each provided with `downwardly extending ilangevs, 16

60 body, a chassis comprising longitudinally spaced frames disposed below said body, said frameshavshafts carried by said iianges, a pivotal connection between one oi' said shafts and one o! said frames, and a slotted connection between the other shaft and the other frame whereby a limited degree of relative longitudinal movement between said body and said last-named frame is permitted.

5. In a vehicle of the character'described, a body, a chassis comprising longitudinally spaced pairs of frames disposed below said body. said frames provided with upstanding ears, similarly spaced members rigidly secured to said body and each provided with downwardly extending flanges, shafts' carried by said flanges, a pivotal connection between one of said shafts and the ears of one pair of frames and a slotted connection between the other shaft and the ears of the other frame whereby a limited degree of relative longitudinal movement between said body and said last-named frame is permitted.

HENRY G. SCHAEFER. 

